TV: ‘True Blood’ Season 4 Loads Up on Newbies

Janina Gavankar (“The Gates”) has joined “True Blood”‘s upcoming fourth season as a regular. Additionally, Alexandra Breckenridge (“Dirt,” “Life Unexpected”) and Vedette Lim (“As the World Turns”) have come on board the HBO smash as recurring. Meanwhile, co-star Jessica Tuck has been promoted to a full-fledged series regular. Deadline reports that Gavankar will play Luna, a super-sexy public school teacher and shapeshifter who is first seen attending an informal gathering with others like her. Breckenridge will play Daisy, a member of a wiccan group founded by Marnie (new series regular Fiona Shaw). Finally, Lim will portray Naomi, a fierce fighter who participates in underground cage matches for money. Tuck joined as even-tempered vampire mouthpiece Nan Flannigan in season 1. Her role was beefed up considerably last season, so news of her full-time upgrade doesn’t come as a complete surprise. The flurry of “True Blood” castings arrive one week before production on season 4 is scheduled to get underway.Pictured: Janina Gavankar